WDR2 Regulates the Orphan Kinesin Kin-G to Promote Hook Complex and Golgi Biogenesis in Trypanosoma brucei

Authors

Qing Zhou
Huiqing Hu
Ziyin Li

Language

English

Publication Date

7-9-2025

Journal

mBio

DOI

10.1128/mbio.00371-25

PMID

40444464

PMCID

PMC12239596

PubMedCentral® Posted Date

5-30-2025

PubMedCentral® Full Text Version

Post-print

Abstract

The flagellum in Trypanosoma brucei plays crucial roles in cell locomotion, cell morphogenesis, and cell division, and its inheritance depends on the faithful duplication of multiple flagellum-associated structures. One of such cytoskeletal structures is a hairpin-like structure termed the hook complex, composed of a fishhook-like structure and a centrin arm structure, whose cellular functions remain poorly understood. We recently identified KIN-G, an orphan kinesin that promotes hook complex and Golgi biogenesis. Here we report a WD40 repeat-containing protein named WD40 Repeat-containing protein 2 (WDR2), which interacts with and regulates KIN-G. WDR2 co-localizes with KIN-G at the centrin arm, and knockdown of WDR2 disrupts hook complex integrity and morphology, inhibits flagellum attachment zone elongation and flagellum positioning, and arrests cytokinesis. Knockdown of WDR2 also disrupts the maturation of the centrin arm-associated Golgi apparatus, thereby impairing Golgi biogenesis. WDR2 interacts with KIN-G via the N-terminal domain of unknown function, the middle domain containing a coiled-coil motif and a PB1 motif, and the C-terminal WD40 domain, and targets KIN-G to its subcellular location. These results uncover a regulatory role for WDR2 in recruiting KIN-G to regulate hook complex and Golgi biogenesis, thereby impacting flagellum inheritance and cell division plane positioning for a symmetrical cytokinesis.

Keywords

Trypanosoma brucei brucei, Golgi Apparatus, Protozoan Proteins, Flagella, Kinesins, Organelle Biogenesis, Protein Binding, Trypanosoma brucei, flagella, hook complex, Golgi, kinesin

Published Open-Access

yes

Recommended Citation

Qing Zhou, Huiqing Hu, and Ziyin Li, "WDR2 Regulates the Orphan Kinesin Kin-G to Promote Hook Complex and Golgi Biogenesis in Trypanosoma brucei" (2025). Faculty, Staff and Student Publications. 6093.
https://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/uthgsbs_docs/6093